1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner that is configured to increase an amount of refrigerant that is compressed by a compressor in a heating mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an air conditioner is an appliance that cools or heats indoor air by heat-exchange of refrigerant with the indoor air using a refrigeration cycle for compressing, condensing, expanding, and vaporizing the refrigerant. The air conditioners are classified into cooling air conditioners that supply cool air to an indoor space by operating the refrigeration cycle in only one direction and heating-and-cooling air conditioners that can supply cool or hot air by selectively operating the refrigeration cycle in one of both directions.
The heating-and-cooling air conditioner heats an indoor space when the refrigerant compressed by a compressor flows into an indoor heat exchanger provided in an indoor unit and is condensed by heat-exchanging with indoor air. The condensed refrigerant expands at an expansion valve and is vaporized by heat-exchanging with outdoor air at an outdoor heat exchanger provided in an outdoor unit. The vaporized refrigerant flows into the compressor and is compressed by the compressor. The compressed refrigerant flows toward the indoor heat exchanger, thereby continuously realizing a heating cycle.
At this point, as the outdoor temperature is reduced, the expansion and vaporization capabilities of the refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger deteriorates and thus the efficiency of the compressor compressing the refrigerant also deteriorates. Accordingly, the heating capability is deteriorated. This causes discomfort to the user.